Yes, the PM is underpaid

To continue to view an appropriate salary for our Prime Minister with scepticism and indifference is pathetic and backward. Our elected politicians are servants not slaves. To underpay a Prime Minister is tantamount to an affront to the very call and office.

A caption in the issue of Monday, April 14 read, “Prime Minister overworked and underpaid.” The statement was made by prominent attorney and Director of Legal Affairs and Advisory Authority, Israel Khan SC, as he addressed his staff at a retreat.

Although Khan made this observation as a reference, in support of what obtains in a broader spectrum involving many professions, the case of the Prime Minister struck a specific cord in me. I guess it may have resonated in a similar way with the writer of the newspaper story, hence inspiring the particular headline. In what was described as “a short but fiery speech,” Khan remarked, “at $25,000 per month, taking into account his duties and responsibilities, the Prime Minister is overworked and underpaid. But he does not engage in work-to-rule tactics...”

While we understand that there is a place where the salary of the Prime Minister must not appear to be “out of sync” with what applies in the rest of the country, we must appreciate that this view has its boundaries. There is a place where it is quite decent, healthy and godly to treat the office, duties and responsibilities of the Prime Minister with some isolation and independence.

We may say that we all are servants. Yes, but no. We are servants yes, but the Prime Minister, whether he is Mr Manning or any other — is chief servant. The chief textbook of my faith (the Holy Bible) charges me, and every other bible-believing christian, to “honour the king,” with the esteem which he deserves in every way (1 Pet. 2:17). In fact, the one who holds the office of Prime Minister is called “the minister of God”. To dishonour this office in any way — including underpay — would be unacceptable to God. The Bible cautions us to ensure that “just rewards” are given to whom they are due (Col. 4:1). The duties and responsibilities of our Prime Minister are quite broad, onerous, stressful and very critical to the well-being and overall destiny of our nation. His responsibilities are far more onerous than virtually every other office in the land. The esteem of his office is also above every other, apart from that of the President. But the PM’s salary certainly does not reflect this.

All around us we have numerous “ordinary professionals,” and even non-professionals, who are in the $25,000-and-over bracket. For all you know, some coconut vendors may exceed this! What’s the monthly wage of the average CEO? Check it out and compare it with the salary of “the CEO of Trinidad and Tobago” — the Prime Minister.

Take a CEO in the financial services sector or the energy sector. In most cases even the PM’s latest reviewed salary will fail to match the lowest of the CEOs’. Nobody has a problem with these CEOs. But somebody always seems to have an itching restlessness about the far more esteemed and far more demanding portfolio of the Prime Minister, despite his comparatively pittance-type income. We know that there may be those who may want to advance “justifiable claims” in the case of Ministers of Government and even Opposition members. But whether or not there is any merit in such claims, we will all agree that the proper place to begin is with the “chief servant.”

I am personally uncomfortable with having my Prime Minister whoever he/she is, serving my country and me, under the callous pressures of this office, while being underpaid. This idea of “keep dey salary small so dey go feel how the small man does feel,” is nonsensical and infantile. The talk about, “they go get their pound ah flesh from deals and corruption,” can also be classified as the above. Do we elect Prime Ministers on the premise or assumption that they are all corrupt? If we do, then we are all stupid, and ourselves corrupt. If we are yet victims of this kind of thinking, then it’s time to unshackle our minds and properly honour our Prime Ministers with their just rewards.

It’s high time that we graduate from subjecting our leaders to this kind of irrational, petty thinking. To continue to view an appropriate salary for our Prime Minister (or other politicians) with scepticism and indifference is pathetic and backward. Sometimes they may seriously annoy us, but our elected politicians are servants, not slaves. We can only meaningfully advance as a nation through maturity. Also, if we don’t justly reward our leaders, we continue to run the risk of frightening away the best, while we remain stuck with mediocrity. In any event, to underpay someone of the stature of a Prime Minister, is not only unjust, it’s tantamount to a downright affront to the very call and office.

Whatever increase the Salary Review Commission has recommended for the Prime Minister, is a step in the right direction. Again, may I underscore that this does not mean that we must in any way be insensitive to the many other “overworked and underpaid” people across our land. Every case deserves due consideration and should be satisfactorily addressed along the way.